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Chapter: 13
Sevtina was loved by everyone, yet even when Julai tried to end her life, no one knew of her circumstances.
Life was ironic—and unfair—like that.
Sevtina tapped her chest a few times.
“I… see. That’s unfortunate.”
Looking at the face plastered with lies made her feel suffocated.
She didn’t want to exchange another word.
“We’ll inform you of the official visitation date through proper channels.”
“Yes, anytime,”
Yulia replied readily.
An indescribable feeling seized Sevtina.
The person who had beaten her, isolated her, and in the end taken away even the last shred of hope she had—
didn’t even recognize that they had hurt her.
…Not at all.
The person she hated didn’t even realize they were hated.
And they never would.
Because Julai Rive would no longer exist.
“…Then I’ll see you later.”
Sevtina turned away from Yulia and pushed through the crowd.
Leaning against the wall, she took a deep breath. She needed time to calm herself.
A sweet melody wrapped around her ears.
It was a waltz.
People stepped onto the floor with their partners, holding one another and smiling as they danced. The sight was peaceful.
With the steady rhythm, her churning emotions gradually settled. Simply watching the dancers became enjoyable.
The bright atmosphere felt as though it were slowly seeping into her.
Then, a voice shattered the pleasant mood.
“Care to dance one song with me?”
Wyatt stepped up to Sevtina and held out his hand.
She blinked.
Between his black hair, Wyatt’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
“Today is for you, after all. At least this much is expected.”
His words sounded as if to prevent misunderstanding—perhaps he thought she might misinterpret his intentions.
But she knew better. She knew how rational Wyatt was.
She was simply surprised.
She hadn’t expected to dance with him in such a grand ballroom.
It was a chance to shift her suffocating thoughts about Yulia elsewhere.
And besides, she couldn’t very well refuse Wyatt’s invitation.
“I may be rather clumsy, so please bear with me.”
She had practiced diligently, but mistakes were inevitable.
Sevtina placed her hand atop Wyatt’s.
His eyebrow lifted slightly, but he said nothing.
The crowd parted. Their hands intertwined in midair.
They began to move with the rhythm.
A dance with Wyatt.
They were close enough that she could hear his breathing.
‘…I really feel nothing.’
Sevtina was surprised at herself for feeling so indifferent.
He was someone she had once tried to grow close to, after all.
Because she was shorter, her gaze kept drifting to the necklace hanging at his neck.
“You’ve been awake for a while now, haven’t you?”
“Yes.”
Spin.
Sevtina turned once, and Wyatt’s voice brushed her ear again.
His voice was low—almost a whisper meant only for her.
“Do you remember anything from before you woke up?”
Her body flinched. She looked up at him.
“…I’ve been asked that question many times.”
The eyes meeting hers were dark.
“Who is that question for?”
Wyatt didn’t avoid her gaze.
Their clasped hands tightened for a brief moment.
“You seem to already know, even if I don’t say it.”
She felt the tension leave his hand and narrowed her eyes slightly.
‘So the three heirs must have talked about me.’
Wyatt seemed to already know that she had refused both Dante and Clazen.
Still, she couldn’t understand it.
“I don’t understand why the three of you care so much about Julai Rive.”
“Do you need to?”
“You’ve all asked me the same question, so I’m asking in return.”
Sevtina stopped in place and faced him expressionlessly.
“Why are you trying to save Julai Rive?”
“……”
“She’s nothing special, from what I’ve seen. Dante, Clazen, and now even Your Highness—people of your stature asking me the same question over and over about someone insignificant… Of course I’d be curious.”
This was a question she asked as Julai Rive herself.
A powerless Julai Rive was nothing to them.
They were the ones who hurt her whenever she tried to approach.
They were the ones who drew the line and said they would never see her again.
So why seek her out now?
She had thought of countless reasons.
Was Julai Rive important?
Was she the heir of water?
But the water crest existed on Yulia—proof that she was the heir.
They knew how Julai was treated in the Rive family.
If they needed to deal with the Rive family, Yulia would suffice. Yulia would welcome it with open arms.
That was what puzzled her the most.
What could they possibly gain from Julai Rive to cling to her like this?
Then, Wyatt’s tightly closed lips parted.
“Because I need to see her again.”
She blinked, wondering if she’d misheard.
But his eyes were clear—so clear they were almost transparent, filled only with sincerity.
“I’ve done many things wrong.”
His blood-red eyes shone with firm resolve as his grip tightened again.
Stronger than before.
As if he were trying to hold onto something slipping away.
“There’s a lot I need to beg forgiveness for.”
“……”
“If she’s alive, I can at least cling to her.”
Fear welled up inside her.
“If she’s collapsed… nothing will change.”
Because it felt like these three really would save Julai.
Even though she didn’t want to live.
Didn’t want to return.
It felt like they would bring her back at any moment.
Sevtina swallowed hard.
“Has that answered your question?”
“…Yes. More than enough.”
The music ended.
Sevtina slipped away from the center of the ballroom as if fleeing.
Wyatt didn’t speak to her again.
But the occasional gaze she felt was heavy.
As if he knew something.
‘It’s hard to stay rational.’
When it came to Julai, hostility was unavoidable.
Her anger toward them couldn’t be soothed with words.
Nor could she accept their attempt to change their attitudes now.
She wanted to be alone—but even that was difficult.
As the guest of honor, people kept approaching her.
After dancing several times while looking for an opening, Sevtina finally managed to step out onto the balcony.
It was colder than she expected, perhaps why few people were outside.
She preferred being alone, so she endured the cold.
‘Isn’t there somewhere I can hide…?’
She spotted a space hidden behind the side wall of the balcony, out of people’s line of sight.
It was beside a vine trailing down the wall.
‘This will do.’
If she was seen, they’d surely invite her back inside to talk or dance. She approached the vines and crouched down.
Her legs ached from standing so long.
A sigh escaped her.
‘…No.’
She didn’t want to go back like this.
She never wanted to return to being Julai Rive.
At first, she thought returning wouldn’t be possible—but now the fear that it might be possible reared its head.
Dante, a high-ranking mage.
Clazen, king of connections.
And Crown Prince Wyatt.
If they joined forces…
It felt inevitable.
‘How do I stop this?’
First, she needed to know how things were progressing.
But there was a problem.
Sevtina wasn’t Julai.
She was merely an outsider with only limited access to information about Julai—making it difficult to interfere.
“It seems there’s no one on this side of the balcony.”
At the familiar voice, Sevtina flinched and turned her head.
But the balcony above was empty.
“It’s quite chilly.”
“Bearable.”
She listened more closely.
The voices were coming from below.
Afraid of being discovered, she held her breath.
The voices became clearer.
“So, did you speak with her?”
It was unmistakably Dante.
“Yes.”
Wyatt’s voice.
“She was hostile from the start. Extremely defensive.”
Dante spoke first.
“Julai is still asleep… and the one we thought might be a clue is this evasive.”
There was a loud thud, as if Dante had struck something.
Hearing Julai’s name roll so naturally off his tongue, Sevtina let out a silent scoff.
“I can’t understand it. Someone from the Xeros family being that cold. Aren’t they known for fairness and generosity?”
“Perhaps approaching her just days after she woke was a mistake.”
Wyatt spoke as though defending Sevtina.
She wasn’t sure how to take that.
“That’s not all. She looked down on Julai, saying she wasn’t worth that kind of care. That’s not something the Xeros family would teach. I couldn’t believe such a woman existed.”
“I was surprised as well, though for different reasons, Your Highness.”
This time, it was Clazen.
“After hearing that from Dante, I visited the Xeros estate. To build connections—and grasp at any straw for Miss Julai’s sake, I asked her the same question Dante did.”
A soft, thoughtful hum brushed Sevtina’s ears.
“From the moment we met, she was strangely hostile toward me. I’ve never been told my first impression or manners were lacking.”
Clazen’s confident tone struck Sevtina as absurd.
‘Where does that confidence even come from?’
Suppressing a dry laugh, she pressed herself tighter against the wall, covering her mouth to silence even her breathing.
